Plantet
Encyclopedia
Plantet is a red wine
grape variety that was one of the hybrid grape created by French physician and grape breeder Albert Seibel
. While the exact parentage of the grape is unknown, the most popular theories has it as a cross of two Seibel grapes
, Seibel 867 x Seibel 2524 with another theory speculating that Plantet's parentage was Seibel 4461 crossed with Berlandieri-Jacquez.
Plantet is grown primarily in the Loire Valley
around Anjou and is known for its prolific yields that the vine can produce. The vine is generally reliable and disease resistant, producing well even after suffering through a spring frost, however the berries tend to be difficult to crush which, along with the uprooting of hybrid varieties throughout France, has contributed to the varieties decline in the later half of the 20th century.
. Throughout France, the variety hit its peak in 1968 with more than 64,000 acres (26,000 hectares), almost exclusive to the Loire Valley and other scattered northern French wine
regions.
However, the later half of the 20th century saw Plantet caught up in the same disfavor that befell all hybrid grapes in France (most notably Villard noir
, Baco noir
and others). Aggressive vine pull schemes
that included lucrative payments to growers for uprooting their vineyards and prohibition of using hybrid grapes in Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
(AOC) wines contributed to a sharp decline for the grape variety. By the end of the 1980s there was less than 1,000 hectares of the grape throughout France.
would be severely damaged. But there is limit to this benefit with the cold making the berries more difficult to crush and the variety not performing well in regions such as New York State after their harsh winters.
, the only known synonym for Plantet is original catalog name, Seibel 5455.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape variety that was one of the hybrid grape created by French physician and grape breeder Albert Seibel
Albert Seibel
Albert Seibel was a French physician and viticulturist who made hybrid crosses of European wine grapes with native North American grapes...
. While the exact parentage of the grape is unknown, the most popular theories has it as a cross of two Seibel grapes
Seibel grapes
Seibel grapes are a group of wine grape varieties which originated with the work of Albert Seibel. They were planted widely in France during the 1950s but have seen decline in recent years due to French wine law banning the cultivation of hybrid grapes for appellation wine. The grapes are still...
, Seibel 867 x Seibel 2524 with another theory speculating that Plantet's parentage was Seibel 4461 crossed with Berlandieri-Jacquez.
Plantet is grown primarily in the Loire Valley
Loire Valley (wine)
The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of...
around Anjou and is known for its prolific yields that the vine can produce. The vine is generally reliable and disease resistant, producing well even after suffering through a spring frost, however the berries tend to be difficult to crush which, along with the uprooting of hybrid varieties throughout France, has contributed to the varieties decline in the later half of the 20th century.
History
Developed by grape breeder Albert Seibel in the late 19th century, Plantet's exact parentage in unknown though it very likely has at least one Seibel grape as a parent. For most of the 20th century, the variety was the most widely planted hybrid in the Loire ValleyLoire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
. Throughout France, the variety hit its peak in 1968 with more than 64,000 acres (26,000 hectares), almost exclusive to the Loire Valley and other scattered northern French wine
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
regions.
However, the later half of the 20th century saw Plantet caught up in the same disfavor that befell all hybrid grapes in France (most notably Villard noir
Villard Noir
Villard grapes are French wine hybrid grape created by French horticulturalist Bertille Seyve and his father-in-law Victor Villard . They include the dark skin Villard noir and the white-wine variety Villard blanc with both being members of the Seyve-Villard grape family...
, Baco noir
Baco noir
Baco noir is a hybrid red wine grape variety produced from a cross of Vitis vinifera var. Folle Blanche, a French wine grape, and an unknown variety of Vitis riparia indigenous to North America. Baco noir produces a medium body, deeply tinted, acidic red wine which is fruit forward and often...
and others). Aggressive vine pull schemes
Vine pull schemes
Vine pull schemes are programs whereby grape growers receive a financial incentive to pull up their grape vines, a process known as arrachage in French. A large program of the kind was initiated by the European Union in 1988 to reduce the wine lake glut from overproduction and declining demand...
that included lucrative payments to growers for uprooting their vineyards and prohibition of using hybrid grapes in Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) wines contributed to a sharp decline for the grape variety. By the end of the 1980s there was less than 1,000 hectares of the grape throughout France.
Viticulture
Plantet was likely bred by Seibel to be a winter-hardy variety and to some extent it is. Growers in the Loire and many northern French wine regions found that the grape still produced high yields despite severe winters and late spring frost when many other varieties, particularly those of Vitis viniferaVitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
would be severely damaged. But there is limit to this benefit with the cold making the berries more difficult to crush and the variety not performing well in regions such as New York State after their harsh winters.
Synonyms
According to the Vitis International Variety CatalogueVitis International Variety Catalogue
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus Vitis. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding in Siebeldingen, Germany, and contains information from grapevine collections existing in...
, the only known synonym for Plantet is original catalog name, Seibel 5455.